Studies have revealed that 40 per cent of the population are afraid of flying and 3 per cent are so scared that they will never fly. While most of us get jittery when the plane hits an air pocket, there’s hardly any reason for concern. Here’s why your plane is not likely to fall out of the sky:
Falling out of the sky: The plane cannot fall out of the sky any more than you could fall out of a swimming pool of water. Air has mass, just like water. It is also continuous and secure, just like water. Indeed, you’ve never walked down the street into an “air pocket” where you suddenly couldn’t breathe. Such it is at higher altitudes as well. Therefore, picture the plane “swimming” through supportive, continuous air, much as you would swim through water
Engines failing: First of all, planes are well maintained and checked regularly — much more often than you would ever think of checking your car engine. Second, there are multiple engines, and even if one goes out, pilots can often re-start it. Third, in a worst-case scenario, even a commercial jetliner can glide — inelegantly, but glide nonetheless—to an emergency landing.
Turbulence: Turbulence isn’t a problem for planes any more than bumps in the road are a problem for cars. Think of the last time you drifted onto the rumble strip on the highway — those bumps are no more than tiny striations in the concrete, but they cause a major vibration that says “wake up!” Likewise, little ups and downs in the air can have deceptively big effects. Turbulence is so routine that the plane can often handle it on autopilot. It feels scary, but the biggest danger with routine turbulence is getting coffee on your laptop. Some crazy guy trying to open the door during flight:
Even if the doors weren’t locked (which they are), opening the door during flight is physically impossible due to the difference in air pressure inside versus outside the plane.
— Source: www.quickanddirtytips.com
